Elephant Hill Sea Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2020

Elephant Hill Sea Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2020French oak Apricot & rockmelon Nougat & savoury pastry Bright acidity "Estate grown and hand picked at Te Awanga, the very classy 2020 vintage (5*) was fermented and matured for a year in French oak casks (25 per cent new). Bright, light yellow green, it is fragrant and full bodied, with deep, vibrant, stone fruit flavours, mealy, complex, harmonious, and long. Still unfolding, it is a stylish, very savoury wine, likely to be at its best from 2024

• French oak
• Apricot & rockmelon
• Nougat & savoury pastry
• Bright acidity

"Estate-grown and hand-picked at Te Awanga, the very classy 2020 vintage (5*) was fermented and matured for a year in French oak casks (25 per cent new). Bright, light yellow/green, it is fragrant and full-bodied, with deep, vibrant, stone fruit flavours, mealy, complex, harmonious, and long. Still unfolding, it is a stylish, very savoury wine, likely to be at its best from 2024 onwards" Michael Cooper

"Taut, yet ethereal wine with lime zest, lemon blossom, salty/oyster shell/mineral, hazelnut, and spicy oak flavours. Very Chablis-esque, From a coastal vineyard at Te Awanga. 12 months in barrel, six months in tank, all on light lees" Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, Real Review, Nov 2022

"Gorgeously styled and expressed, the wine shows apricot, rockmelon, nougat, savoury pastry and lemon peel aromas on the nose. The palate has a wonderful weighty mouthfeel combined with creamy texture and bright acidity, finishing impressively long and expansive. At its best: now to 2030" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Oct 2022

"Bright, pale straw yellow with a faint green sheen, even colour throughout. The nose is elegantly full, with power, citrus, stone fruit and hazelnut aromas interweaving, underlying pastry and creamy lees. Full-bodied, aromas of lemon curd, apricot and a suggestion of pineapple enriched by roasted hazelnut, pastry and delicate spice. The wine is powerful with weight, tension, and quality new oak provides an unctuous mouthfeel and lends a sweet-fruited, long finish. This Chardonnay shows tension from the Te Awanga coastal influence and a powerful palate with new oak and sweet fruit. Will benefit from further ageing. Serve decanted and match with roast guinea fowl and crayfish mornay over the next 8+ years" Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Reviews

100% Sea vineyard (Te Awanga). 88% clone 15, 12% clone 95, handpicked on 7/3 and 14/3. Whole bunch pressed to barrel, natural primary ferment, partial malolactic (natural). 18 mths on light lees, occasional stirring, 12 mths barrel (25% new), 6 mths in tank.